Hometown:
Kenmore, Washington
Occupation:
I'm self-employed, and am thinking about starting another business painting murals.
Family Members:
My husband Randy, and my two sons, ages 3 and 5.
Pets:
One dog.
| SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM MARY |
"I was just getting out of the shower when iWon arrived. In fact, my husband actually pulled into our driveway with the kids just about the same time as iWon. So he was outside talking to them as I stepped out of the shower. I had no idea, though.
I heard someone say, "Do you know why we're here?" to my husband, and I began thinking the worst, that something had happened. So I was frantically throwing on my clothes as fast as possible, and when I got to the front door, there were all these cameras pointed at me! And I think, what's going on here?!
Well, it's iWon with an Inside Edition crew, and they ask me, "Do you know why we're here?" And I say, "No!" So they tell me I've won a million dollars, and I say, "Oh my God, it's a joke." My husband said, "It would be a very elaborate joke, honey."
I had forgotten that I'd signed up for the Sprint sweepstakes. I've been a Sprint customer for 13 years, but I only signed up for the Double your Winnings contest about six weeks ago. I did it just for the heck of it. Glad I did! After telling me I had won a million dollars, they handed me another package and told me I'd actually won TWO MILLION DOLLARS! Oh my God! One million was a mind-blower, but two million?! I can't imagine that this has happened. I feel like I'm kind of lost in a fog.
The funny thing is, my husband and I were just talking about how we were going to have to tighten our belts this month, to watch how we spend our money. Last year, I was in a car accident and haven't been able to do the work I did before. Less than a month later, my husband was in a car accident, too. I guess you could say things happen to me in twos! Two kids, two car accidents, I ran two of my own businesses, and now TWO MILLION DOLLARS!
My husband just got a letter from the Seattle Mariners about buying tickets if the team makes the playoffs. So maybe now we'll have to buy those tickets! We may take some trips, too. Maybe go to Hawaii. I've always loved traveling. I've learned a lot traveling, and I want my kids to experience that, too.
But I also want to donate some of my winnings. I always wanted to make a difference if I won money. I wanted that more than anything. So when this surprise happened, I started crying. When I move on to the next world, I want people to say, "She made a difference. She made it a different place."
I want to be comfortable and have my kids taken care of. Money's never been that important to me. I want others to be helped by this. I want to change others' lives. Now that I have the money, I can think about doing just that!"
Book:
"Wait Till Next Year"
Movie:
"Princess Bride"
Actor:
Kevin Spacey
Web Site:
iWon.com, plus a hunger charity site and a Rainforest charity site
Heroes:
Leo Buscaglia.
Hobbies/Interests:
Number one is my family. I also enjoy sea kayaking.
After you won, who was the first person you told?
My mom.
Anything else you have won before:
$100 on a radio contest.
What do you like most about iWon?
It's easy to use, and great for news and information. Now that I've won, I still plan to continue using it!
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Congratulations, Mary, and welcome to iWon's family of winners.
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winner!
